Races
Aeturn is home to an astonishing abundance of sapient life. Although humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, orcs, goblins, trolls and giants may be the most abundant, countless other races both mysterious and familiar call these spectacular planet home, and some of them have been detailed below. A Note on Races In the real world, 'race' tends to evoke negatively with most people. Humans have always used race as a means of ostracizing or persecuting those of different origin. However, in Wayword, I consider 'race' and 'ethnicity' to be synonymous terms, and thus my usage of the word reflects this ethos. Additionally, an important distinction needs to be drawn between the words 'race' and 'species.' Humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, orcs, goblins, trolls and giants are what are considered 'species', organisms closely related through biology, physiology, and evolutionary history. 'Races' are subdivisions of species based on appearance, culture, homeland and religion, though most have a biological basis. On occasion, I will also make mention of 'subraces' or 'nationalities', these terms also do not carry the same meaning. 'Subraces' is a more specialized way of separating members of specific races, whilst nationality refers to the birthplace and/or homeland of a particular individual. To summarize with an example: Brom is a male Northern Human. His species is human, but his race is Northerner, since he has Northern parents, follows Northern gods, and possesses a Northern appearance. His subrace is Malathar, since his ancestors were members of the Malathar tribe, however his nationality is Unoran, not Malathane, since he was born and raised in a small village in the Ironwood. Therefore Brom's race (or ethnicity): is Northern Human, his Subrace is Malathari, and his nationality is Unoran. Human Races The lands of humans are spread far across the world of Aeturn, and their significant distance from one another means that humans have experienced a level of racial diversification unseen by other races. Northern Humans The humans of the Northern Kingdoms are a hardy and determined folk, at home in a range of temperate climates - from the stony peaks of Volund, to the fetid swamps of Arwyl and the rocky hills of the Scar, Northerners have laid claim to almost all the world's biomes. However they fare poorly in cooler climates, their bodies used to the temperate weather and fair heat of Eduin's heartlands. The Northerners are most prevalent throughout the Northern Kingdoms, sizeable populations of Northerners can be found all across Eduin, and even in small communities in Tarnor. Northerners descend from the tribal peoples of ancient Evland, the region in Southern Tarnor now known as Saxum. Originally existing as a benevolent coalition of nine barbarian tribes, the majority of Evlanders fled after the youngest of the tribes, the Saxumar, initiated a mass genocide against the other eight tribes. This prompted the Great Migration, whereupon the majority of Evlanders departed, following the course laid out by the Anlons thousands of years ago. Eventually they arrived in Eduin, where they spread across the land like wildfire, establishing proud and strong kingdoms that have lasted to this day. According to Northerners, the Northern Kingdoms are the strongest and most prolific in Eduin, though this fact is disputed by foreigners and Westerners alike. Northerners possess fair skin and dark hair. They stand at an average human height, and are commonly brown or blue-eyed. Northerners possess lower agility than other humans, but match it with slightly increased strength and are gifted with an unmatched will to survive and conquer.